Motorcycle Shipping

Working in the moving industry means adapting to the needs of our customers. Now, not everybody owns a motorcycle or an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle), but for those of us who do, we love these things like they were our children! Just as we have a responsibility to keep our children safe from harm, the same goes for our beloved bikes and ATV’s when it comes to shipping. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have heard from motorcycle and ATV owners the horrible results of having their “babies” shipped improperly. If a moving company is acting responsibly, then these complaints should be null and void.

 

Let’s create a hypothetical scenario; John Doe wants his Harley Davidson “Fatboy” moved with his household goods shipment. Unfortunately for him, We Couldn’t Care Less Movers arrive and simply throw a few moving blankets (if he is lucky) on his very expensive motorcycle, roll it into the trailer of an interstate truck (meaning an 18 wheeler), strap it down (again, if he is lucky) and then expect this item to arrive with little or no damage. This is absolutely wishful thinking! Interstate trucks are always packed for maximum load and what this means is that this is already turning into a nightmare scenario for poor John’s motorcycle! Let’s not forget; all of the household furniture, appliances and boxes must also be packed onto this truck. A full truck keeps the shipping costs down for the carrier, so they will certainly exploit this option. So, just where will all of these additional household items end up when there is no more space to exploit? Right smack on John Doe’s motorcycle! While it might not arrive completely destroyed (though we have definitely seen this happen due to such negligence), dings, scratches, dents, broken mirrors and lights are the norm. Typically these companies will also make the owner of this vehicle sign a waiver saying they take no responsibility for damages to the vehicle. At best, they will only recoup your losses at 0.60 per lb.

So what is the proper way to ship a motorcycle or an ATV? Crating is the only reliable answer. Not only will this ensure the safe transport of your prized possession, but this also allows the carrier to stack items properly in their trailer to maximize efficiency. This keeps theirs and your costs down and this will also prevent a lot of tears in the end!

 

I have included pictures of proper transport of motorcycles, ATV’s and let’s not forget Scooters for those of us who are “mods”!  

Happy Trails!

 

 

 

I motorcycle shipping

 

 Shipping a Street Bike

motorcycle shipping

Shipping an ATV

motorcycle shipping

Shipping a Vespa Scooter

motorcycle shipping

Closed Motorcycle Crate

motorcycle shipping

Shipping a Harley Davidson

 

 

 

 

 

Moving

As if life isn’t already busy enough, when you incorporate moving you and your family to a new home, whether its five miles down the road or five hundred miles down the road the added stress can make anyone a little crazy.  So, how do you ease the endless list of things to prepare before making the big move?  The answer-hire professional movers and packers!  Yes, there is the initial task of interviewing and collecting quotes from various movers but if you remember to stay organized and perform your due diligence on selecting your mover; the end result of leaving the menial and daunting task of packing your grandmother’s antique china will be in the hands of the professional packers.  So what’s the price tag on hiring professional movers and packers?  Well, this will vary depending on what you have to pack and move, the contents of each person’s home varies, but can you put a price tag on your sanity and the safe delivery of the precious pieces of art you bought on your honeymoon in Spain?

 

The convenience of hiring mover is you can customize the service you require.  You’re a bit of a control freak and you don’t want anyone packing your dishes but you really have no idea how to protect your 60” plasma TV- well, your packers can pack as much or as little as you want them to! On the other hand, you are mom of the year that handles the car pull for all the working moms in the neighborhood, you volunteer at the school and manage your own household that the thought of having to scrounge for moving boxes and actually pack the boxes makes your head spin and sends you into a near nervous breakdown- well, do not fret your professional movers and packers can pack your home top to bottom and all you have to do is open the door!   So, what are you waiting for?  Condor Moving Systems, Arlington Texas based full service moving company can help you from start to finish no matter where you’re moving in the continental United States.

 

Moving & Storage Company

MOVING         PURCHASED/SOLD FURNITURE       STAGING          DE-CLUTTERING

A full service moving and storage company can come in handy not only when you are actually moving out-of-state but when you need an extra hand when you have purchased or sold furniture, staging a home for sale or de-cluttering.

Have you purchased or sold a piece of furniture that you need picked up or delivered? Online auction sites being so popular today it would be nice to know that there is a simple way to move large pieces of furniture that won't fit in a standard size car.

Staging your home to sell is one of the best things to do to ensure a quicker sale.  When staging your home it typically requires moving out a lot of extra pieces to make maximize the space in your home.
Staging is simply to take away the distractions, stimulate the imagination, and highlight the key architectural features of every home. Wondering How can full service moving and storage company help.  By hiring movers you are able to have them come to your home load up those additional items and hold them in storage until your home has sold.  Once your home has sold the movers will take your items out of storage, come back out to your home load up the remaining furniture pieces and finally get your delivered to your new home.

If you are simply remodeling your home and need things moved out of the way versus bring a container unit to your home and be forced to load it and unload it on your own hire a mover.  When you hire a moving company the movers can come out to your home load it up, store it and then bring back out to you when you are ready for it. 

The next time you need furniture moved around think about hiring a full service moving company.

http://www.condormovingsystems.com

Texas Movers

Dallas Movers--Fort Worth Movers--Houston Movers--SanAntonio Movers--Austin Movers

Local Movers in Texas typically will charge in a few different ways so when looking to hire a mover make sure you understand how you will be charged. 

Some companies will charge per piece meaning if you tell them you are moving 35 pieces that is exactly what they will move on moving day.  If you have additional items you will pay a premium to move those items.  Other companies will charge you an hourly rate typically the time will start from the time the movers start the job until they are finished at the destination plus their travel time charge.  If you have additional items the day of your move that they didn't know about you don't pay a higher hourly rate but may end up paying a bit more for you move for the time it took to move the additional items.

Make sure you understand how your moving company will be charging you and what the charges will be for any additional items you may have forgotten to mention when getting your moving quote.

Save Money Long Distance Move

Moving out of state and want to save lots of money?  Something that most movers wont tell you is how to do this.  Its real simple and very easy to do.   When packing your kitchen do not take canned goods.  Canned goods are fairly in-expense but can be very heavy for example a small box (1.5 cubic feet) should weigh approximately 10 pounds you load it up with canned goods it could possibly weight up to 50lbs.  If your mover charges by weight which is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration "FMSCA" preferred method here is an example of what this could save or cost you 50lbs at .43 (rate mover is charging) = $21.50 per small box of canned goods.  This would also apply to things like old books and magazines if don't need them then get rid of them. 

A very common question people want to know is where to discard the items you don't want or need.

• Some movers will collect non-perishable items and donate them to local food backs so this allows you to help and give back to your local community easily. 

• For items such as books and magazines that can be taken to local book stores who buy used books which is very nice allows you to make some money to use towards your move. 

• Some local charities will come to your home to pick up items such as furniture or clothing.

• Garage sales are always an option if you have the extra time.

Just keep this rule in mind when getting ready to move and need to hire a moving company
"If you don't need it don't ship it" 

Looking to hire a Full Service Moving Company

Choosing a Mover

When looking to hire a full service moving company it’s important to do your research like with any purchase you make especially when tendering your life long possessions to someone.  There are several websites out there to help consumers such as The Federal Highway Safety Administration “FMSCA” and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles “TXDMV”.

When doing your research on the mentioned sites here are 3 things to look for:

Is the moving company a broker or a full service moving company?

How long has the moving company been in business?

How many complaints does the moving company have on the FMSCA and TXDMV websites?

 

What does this mean?

A moving broker is someone who just brokers moves out how this happens is you pay the broker deposit which is typically 10-20% of your estimate which is the brokers cut on your move then your job gets brokered out to an actual moving company or owner operator who performs the job.  The problems that sometimes occur range from damaged items, service issues and increased charges.  Not knowing who is showing up and how they will handle your prized possessions is the scariest part.

How long a moving company has been in business says a lot.  In the moving industry is very common to see individuals open a moving company for a couple of years ruin their reputation and shut down to open a new moving company staying under the radars of the FMSCA and TXDMV.

 

When looking at the complaints online make sure to only look at FMSCA and TXMDV sites.  Look at the nature of the complaints and ask your mover questions about the complaints and how they are handled and resolved if one was to occur.   Procedures on how and where to address complaints or services issues should be made easily available to consumers.

In conclusion always do your research before making such an important decision and keep the mentioned 3 key things in mind when shopping around.